


It's Good to be a Good, Good Neighbor

by EgoDominusTuus



Series: Like Good Soldiers [22]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Fluffy Feelings, Ghouls, Hancock is a sweetheart, M/M, Nervousness, Psychic Bonds, Psychic Wolves For Lupercalia, and Preston is precious, chems, male/male relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-22 22:39:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6096268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EgoDominusTuus/pseuds/EgoDominusTuus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hancock finds himself stuck in Sanctuary for a week while the Boys in Blue have to seal themselves away. With Preston Garvey as his guide, what kind of romance and chaos will ensue?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Major Problem

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ProwlingThunder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProwlingThunder/gifts).



> This work has the wolves from Lupercalia involved in it, but I can promise you that Preston and Hancock are going to end up romancing one another all on their own merit. Wolves are kinda a secondary thing - the chemistry that I feel exists between the two is the dominant factor! (Rating is for delicious smut to come.)

 I was only in Sanctuary Hills because Silas King and Quinn dragged me here; I’d wanted to travel the Commonwealth with them, get out of the comfort that I felt in Goodneighbor… but I hadn’t expected to just be shuffled to another town. Still, Ezio and I were glad to explore, even if it seemed like we were going to have a pitstop at a settlement. I understood  _ why _ the two needed a week - their bitches were going to go into heat, and apparently they had a safe area at their home-settlement… but still, if I’d have known this, I would have waited in Goodneighbor for them to swing back by and get me.

  It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see all of the Commonwealth, but being a ghoul tended to get you dirty looks from a certain crowd of people. I didn’t know how the Minute Men, with their clean cut reputation, were going to feel about a chem using, John-Hancock-coat-wearing mayor of the hardest town around. 

   Silas and Quinn disappeared as soon as we entered town, and I saw a small trail of people following them up along a hill and towards their converted Vault. It was a smart idea, really - probably the military mentality for ya. They’d converted the old Vault that they’d crawled out of into a safe breeding facility. 

   Made me want to do something like that for Goodneighbor, whenever I got around to going back. I liked to make sure that my people were taken care of - I’d killed for that city, after all. What kind of a Mayor would I be if I didn’t keep up with taking care of them? 

  The two boys in blue led me to their bunker, with a promise that I’d be welcome here in Sanctuary while they were busy. They told me that I was free to stay in their house until they came back out of the Vault, but they were already starting to twitch in nerves. Beside me, Ezio’s head was perked and interested - though the females weren’t in heat  _ yet,  _ he could smell that it was coming on soon. I’d actually had to stroke him between the ears and hold him back when Silas and Quinn had left, because he was intent on following the two bitch wolves that he’d gotten to know on our trek here. 

   “They’re not ours, buddy.” Ezio’s bright eyes were full of irritation, but he stayed settled beside me, laying his enormous head against my lap in frustration. “Sorry, brother.” It was an apology that I’d given him more than once - I wasn’t going to force myself onto anyone that didn’t want all that a ghoul had to offer… and the simple fact was, there weren’t many people in this world who could look past my face to see that I was still just a man on the inside. 

   It was almost cosmic irony - I hadn’t been able to look at my reflection when I was a man, and no one could stand to look at it now that I was a ghoul. I was lucky I had a sense of humor on me, or I might have been bitter about the whole thing. 

   The last thing that Silas and Quinn had told me was that one Major Preston Garvey would be attending to me shortly, making sure that I had everything that I needed for my week's stay. I wasn’t much on the military type, but Quinn and Silas had been decent fellas; I trusted their judgement. 

   Still, Major Garvey. Hm. Wasn’t sure how he’d take to a ghoul with my reputation chilling in his General’s house for a week. Honestly, it didn’t matter - Ezio and I were here to stay until Silas and Quinn told us that we had to leave; I doubted that anyone was going to be able to make me leave. I couldn’t see any Major defying his General’s orders… especially when the General’s blue eyes could freeze hell over when he was angry.

   For a while, I milled around their house - Silas had told me to make myself at home, and it was honestly interesting to see the difference between he and Quinn and the rest of the Commonwealth. There was an odd order to their possessions, a strange almost cadence to their aesthetic. Even I had to admit that it was appealing. I hadn’t let myself get attached to the two boys, even though it was a bit of a trial not to; the last person that I’d thought about getting attached to was the sweet little ex-Gunner MacCready. Even though I’d shared a moment with him and Jack, that didn’t mean that he was mine.

   I wasn’t going to go through the same with Silas and Quinn. There wasn’t enough jet in the world to make me forget the sensation of belonging that I’d felt for a shining moment with Smiling Jack and his little lover… but that was all it was - a moment. I wasn’t going to relive the pain of having that torn away again.

   I hadn’t let it tear away my casual smile, or my flirting nature, though. Nothing could take that away from me. The only thing that caused it any detriment was my face, and hell… at least I was fond of it. 

   A knock on the door pulled me out of my musing, and I realized that Ezio had been leaning heavily against my leg, his soft presence of mind flowing  _ acceptance  _ and  _ peace  _ into my soul. My brother - the only one who I knew was always going to be there for me. I shifted to the door and pulled it open, tilting my head so that it half shadowed my features. A casual smile spread my lips, and it froze in place when I saw the man standing at the entrance. Sweet dark skin, and his own hat tilted to throw shade across chocolate eyes. He was taller than Quinn - shorter than Silas King.

   Actually, my liquid black eyes met at perfect height with his own. 

   My fingers came to my red frock coat, smoothing it out as I leaned casually against the doorframe. “I didn’t realize Sanctuary had room service.” My gravelly voice was full of charm, even though my stomach was giving a small twist of anxiety. Damn me if he wasn’t handsome, and beside me, Ezio had perked his red ears forward - a female gray wolf stood alert beside the young man, and she smelled like  _ wet gunpowder in a summer rainstorm _ , while the man in front of us had the scent of  _ warm glass and brass buttons _ , and Ezio thought that was just fine, thankyouverymuch.

_ Bring them in _ . Ezio’s voice was a deep rumble in my mind, more impression of a demand than the words themselves. I slid him a long look, but turned my attention back to the man in front of me, who seemed to be fumbling over how to answer my little entendre that I’d greeted him with. What was surprising to me was the crimson on his cheeks, and the distinct lack of paleness at my appearance.

_ In _ . Ezio demanded again, and I stepped back from the door with a flourishing gesture of red sleeves. “Did you want to come in to my humble abode. I’d call the decorations very retro, wouldn’t you?” The man stared at me for a moment, but stepped in with his sister trailing his steps, shutting the door behind him. Only after a second did he seem to collect himself.

   “I’m Preston Garvey, and I’m assuming you know this is the General’s house?” 

_ Major Garvey.  _ Oh. Oh, my.

   I sauntered to the table that Quinn and Silas had set up, not bothering to pull a chair out. I leaned against the surface instead, giving the  _ Major  _ a small grin. “If you say so, I guess.” A small pause, and I added, “Silas told me you’d be coming around at some point today.” But he hadn’t mentioned that his Major was so…

   Well..

   Attractive. 

   For some reason, I was imagining some gray haired old bastard. I was living proof of what happened when a person assumed. 

   “The General wanted me to make sure that you had everything you needed. He and the Colonel haven’t been back to Sanctuary Hills in a few weeks, so the house isn’t stocked up.” His eyes traveled over my face, and I found myself intent on his expression. It was a shocking thing, because there wasn’t fear there, or disgust. There was only a general concern and sense of duty, though I caught his eyes trailing over my outfit more than once. Finally, I hopped from the table and sauntered forward, sticking my hand out.

   “Thanks for the concern,  _ Major _ . The names Hancock. John Hancock.” Realization snapped through dark hues, and the Major did another sweep of my clothes. 

   “So, that’s-”

   “Of the people, for the people.” I spilled out my motto, my grin stretching further across my features. Preston Garvey actually let a slow smile echo in answer, and fuck me if it wasn’t a beautiful thing - it made him look younger, innocent somehow. 

   “I’ve heard of you - you’re the mayor of Goodneighbor, aren’t you?” I didn’t know if it was a good thing that he knew about my little town or not, but he pushed forward. “I’ve heard you take care of your people. The town might have a bad reputation, but I can admire anyone who stands for the people.” 

   Well, hot damn. 

  “I knew my reputation preceded me, but I didn’t know such an upstanding citizen as yourself would appreciate it.” He took my hand in a firm grip and shook it - the warmth from his palm spilled against my own, light moisture giving away the fact that he was nervous for some reason that I couldn’t fathom. Behind him, Ezio was carefully approaching his wolf, and I could see by the way that her ears perked forward, the advance wasn’t altogether unwelcomed. 

   “I don’t pay attention to what most people say - I’m the kind of guy who likes to make judgement calls for myself.” Preston’s voice was softly sincere enough that it could have honeyed tea. I couldn’t stop my grin from staying wide on my face. If anything, he made me twitch a bit for Mentats, the Grape flavor that Jack always seemed to have in his pocket. I had some sweet stuff in the pockets of my frock, but I wasn’t sure as to how the Major in front of me would take my drug habit.

   It was odd that I cared. “Most people pay attention to gossip and rumors. It’s nice to see that you aren’t amongst them.” I strolled past him, letting myself fall gracefully against the dark couch that Silas and Quinn had carefully arranged. “As for what I need… maybe a beer and a comic.” I tilted my head back, “Haven’t caught up on the most recent broadcast of the Silver Shroud - don’t suppose you get that radio station all the way here, do you?”

   Dark brows arched, and the grin on his face turned boyish as Preston responded. “I didn’t know that there was still a Silver Shroud station playing.” His eyes flicked to his wolf, and I could tell by the blush on his cheeks that he wasn’t sure if I was joking. A guess spilled out of my lips before I could stop myself. 

   “Justice?” 

   The blush on his features deepened, and something warm spilled through my belly at how cute it was. Of course, the very fact that he seemed to be sugary innocence told me that I  _ couldn’t  _ go for it. If anything, he was being nice - an upright boy like him didn’t need to mess with a drug-using, foul mouth ghoul such as myself. I couldn’t stop from smiling warmly at him as he met my eyes. 

   “Yeah. That’s her name.”

   “Suits her. Does that make you the Silver Shroud?” 

   Preston blushed deeper. “No. I’m just a man who wants to help people when I can. Of the people, for the people, right?”

   Damn it. I was going to have to throttle Silas and Quinn when they came out of the Vault for putting me in the path of someone so tempting. For now, I pushed from my seat on the couch and sauntered forward to gently tap him on the shoulder. “That’s the ticket. Now - about that beer, and maybe we could rustle up some grub?”

   Preston stepped back, tipping his hat so that the shadow fell over his eyes all the more. “You’ve got it, John.” 

   Yeah, I was definitely going to have to throttle the two boys in blue… because I even liked the way he said my name. 


	2. My Middle Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good thing that Trouble is Hancock's middle name, or else he'd be in the thick of it right now.

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the Silver Shroud - I told the Major about the ghoul in our town who was a damn near super-fan of the show... I regaled the tale of how his General had put on the Silver Shroud costume and taken care of the criminals of the city. He was in a bit of disbelief that Silas King would have done something so sporadic, and I wasn't going to tell him that Quinn had been begging him to do it for a good half a day before Silas final relented. 

  I had a feel that Quinn had promised away some eternally delicious sexual favors for the trade, because Silas had looked more than just a little pleased and disheveled when he'd come out of the Hotel Rexford the next day. 

  Whatever the sexual favors were, the boys had followed Kent Connolly's instructions, right up until it had gotten him ghoul-napped, as it were. They'd brought him back within the same day, and though he seemed a bit shaken, his Broadcast had continued. 

   The fact that they'd dealt so kind and fairly with Kent, seemed to really care about what happened to him, just made me all the more proud to call them someone I could associate with. It was actions like that which had decided to make me leave Goodneighbor with the two - of course, I'd never expected to instantly be abandoned while they went off and enjoyed their heat in the Vault. Ezio rumbled low beside me at the thought; though they were sealed away so that people wouldn't know what was happening, so that the Minute Men's wolf-brothers wouldn't become anxious, Ezio knew what was happening.

   Sometimes I felt guilty that he'd gotten straddled with someone like me, someone who had all but fucked over every chance that he'd ever have at a normal heat again. My damn conscience wouldn't let me take advantage of that sex-crazed state of mind. 

   If a person didn't choose to fuck me before the heat was on them, I wasn't going to let it happen. It was honestly annoying as hell - the only people who wanted to fuck me always seemed to have a brother... and I was just guilty enough that I wasn't going to have my fun if Ezio couldn't as well.

   It was one big cluster-fuck that I wasn't enjoying in the least. When I'd had lily-white skin, we hadn't had this problem... now...

_ Justice is female. _ Ezio pressed the thought gently into my mind, and I'd have had the grace to blush if Preston had been looking at me. Thankfully, he was busy prepping some food over a low-slung pot. I let my dark eyes slide to my wolf-brother's hues, which were burning a deep gold. 

_ Not ours, buddy. _

_ Could be _ . He fixed me with his gaze, his red fur bristling, bluntly telling me that he wouldn't waver on this decision. Worse, Justice had come up to us at that moment, her tail proud and erect as she sat almost daintily beside my wolf-brother. Ezio rumbled low in his chest. Instinct told him that Justice could be his, and he wasn't going to be swayed.

   I looked at Major Preston Garvey from beneath my hat, and I couldn't help but to admit that it would be more than a little sweet to have a taste... but... 

_ Someone like him isn't for someone like me _ . I let my thoughts spill through my mind, and Ezio shifted to lay his head on my lap. His golden eyes rolled up to meet mine, far more intelligent and human that they should have been.

_ You don't know that. _

  My gaze once again flicked to the appointed Major, and I actually let myself sink down in my seat all the more, using the brim of my hat like a perfect cover for hiding. I couldn't imagine what Ezio wanted me to do - I'd always been calm, casual, flirting. But I'd never been serious with it, because I'd never thought that there was a reason to; no one had ever given me a reason to.

   For just a moment, I'd thought about it with MacCready. For just another moment, I'd thought about it with him and Jack. And it had hurt like a son of a mother fucking bitch both times. 

  Did I really want to think of it again with Preston Garvey, who had firelight flickering and casting sweet shadows on his skin? 

   As though just thinking his name could summon his attention, Preston turned to me with an easy smile and a hand full of grilled meat. "Sorry that there's no fancy mess hall. The General has plans on getting one built soon. Until then, we'll just have to enjoy the sky." Preston sauntered forward, handing me the plate. "Unless you want a table - we could always go back to my-" He trailed off instantly, his cheeks throwing the slightest bit of blush, "The General's house. If you'd prefer."

_ See _ . Ezio's voice was a lazy calm, and he let his tongue loll out to lick Justice's ear. The wolf-bitch opened one eye lazily and then laid back down against my brother. _ I'm right. _

_ You don't know that.  _ My voice was a low hiss, but I let my lips turn into a smile at the Major's embarrassment. 

   "I don't mind the open air. It's been a while since I've been out of Goodneighbor." I hated the way that I sounded so casual, because it was nothing to do with how I was really feeling. "We could always walk while we ate. You could show me around - last I heard, Sanctuary Hills was in ruins." My dark eyes glanced for a moment. It was anything but that.

   "It was when we first got here. Sila- I mean, the General and Colonel put in a lot of hard work to get this place up and running again for the people." For the people - I liked that. Of course, that was what I'd always liked about those two, not that I was going to go around toting their titles to make them feel special. I was of the mind that a man was more important by his name than any title - after all my brother was sporting the title Mayor, and he hardly deserved it.

   Maybe that was why I'd left Goodneighbor. I was more a title than my own name - it was a name that I'd plucked from the air for myself when I'd taken John Hancock's uniform. I needed to live up to it again.

   But what kind of a name was Preston Garvey. A damn fine one.  

   We ate as we walked, and it was almost a strange thing. In Goodneighbor, I was always on the lookout for nefarious behavior. To say the least, I expected someone to be doing something wrong. Here, it was odd - I could see settlers working carefully planted farms. People were building new homes, putting up perimeter fences. There were guard posts assigned, and no one seemed to stray from their duties, though there was an easy smile on most everyone's face. 

   I ran my community with a lot of love for the fact that I was all about freedom, but there was also a measure of fear - the hovering knowledge that outside of our walls, there were more dangers than they could imagine. Just the walk to Goodneighbor was fraught with Raiders, Mutants, and all other sorts of fuck-all. I knew quite a few good men that had died just trying to make it to our gates. It wasn't something that I liked, but I couldn't constantly be out on a run to make sure that people could make it inside.

   It seemed so different here. There wasn't any fear, and there seemed to be a turret up at every corner. Silas and Quinn seemed fairly determined to make sure that Sanctuary Hills was a safe haven. I wasn't sure if they were doing it because it was their home, or because it /had been their home before/. I knew without looking that the little graveyard at the edge of my vision held more than just settlers who had fallen.

   Were they protecting their memories just as much as the people that they cared for now? Was that the key to it all? I knew, in all of my years as a mayor, I'd never had the impact on people that those two did... I'd given them jet as rewards, offered them drugs to take away their fears.

   The boys offered safety like candy, and a sense of home. I was honestly envious. I wasn't sure if Preston could read my expression, or if Sanctuary always had this effect on people, because he was beaming proudly at me. 

   "I didn't think that a place like this could exist anymore, either. But the General made it happen." There was a reverence in his tone, and I was starting to understand why. 

  I didn't want to admit that a tiny part of my chest stung with the fact that he thought of Silas that way - jealousy, maybe. Need. Whatever it was, Ezio was rumbling in his chest that I should /change his mind/ if I was so jealous, and Justice was prancing beside my brother as though she knew some secret that I didn't.

   "It's a nice place, for sure. Cleaner than anywhere I've been. If you've ever been to Goodneighbor, it's secure. For the most part." I didn't mention that Quinn and Silas had been accosted when they'd first entered the city. I also didn't mention the fact that I'd gutted the man who had done it. Preston Garvey seemed too pure for my rough and tumble lifestyle.

_ You hear that, brother. Too pure. _

_ You don't know that. _ Ezio's voice was a calm wave of haughty assurance, as though he could see into the damn future. 

   "I've heard the stories." Preston spoke, but he wasn't running in fear from me, so that was good. 

   As we walked, some of the good citizens looked up at me - a few of them held well-disguised disgust, but I could see it shining in their eyes. Even here, there was going to be prejudice. I guess the difference was, Silas and Quinn wouldn't tolerate it. As we turned the corner, with me finishing off the last bite of my meal, I noticed a face that I recognized.

   The Ghoul had come to Goodneighbor a few months back, and he'd been so broken up about his life. He was one of the ones that had been around since the nukes dropped, and he seemed bitter about that fact. I'd never expected to see a smile on his face, but he was laughing softly as he stood behind a carefully erected booth, with the word Items scribbled across the top in offwhite paint. 

  What shocked me even more was the fact that there was a sweet young girl standing by his booth - all smooth flesh and tanned skin. She was smiling at him, and I could tell that  _ she _ was the reason that _ he  _ was smiling. 

   What I liked even more about the situation than seeing the fact that ghoul/human relations weren't completely looked down on in this town, even if it was light flirting... was the soft smile that crossed Preston's features when he saw the two of them together. He caught me staring at him, and blushed again.

   "Sorry. It's just nice to see him happy. He was kinda lost when he got here - apparently he was in Sanctuary Hills when the bombs dropped. He knew the Silas and Quinn back then." He slipped, using their names, but I think it had something to do with the pink stain of his cheeks. I wanted to rag on him about the blush, but I didn't want him to stop at the same time. 

   "I guess it's the girl making him happy?" I arched a brow, fishing even though I knew that I shouldn't have even tried... even though I was trying to avoid Ezio's insistence that something could come of this. Just seeing Preston blush, seeing the way that he looked at the two beside us with soft sweetness in his eyes _ told _ me that I was too rough around the edges for him. I wasn't about to sully his lily white sweetness with my mentat stained world. But I couldn't help the softness that sprang into my chest when he smiled at my words. 

  "Yeah. He was real shy about it at first, but she comes to his booth every day. It's..." he trailed off, and I could have sworn that he was going to end his sentence with the word  _ romantic _ . I couldn't help it when I grinned.

   "You're just sweeter than sugar, aren't you?" His eyes flared wide when I spoke, and I couldn't help but to chuckle softly. "Sorry, it's just refreshing to see someone who isn't a prejudice bastard about ghoul and human relations."

   He had to take a minute to gather himself, but there was a tinge of pride and matter-of-fact in his voice when he spoke. "The ghouls are just like everyone else - I was taught not to judge someone based on their skin, or their appearance, or their upbringing." His dark brows furrowed as he looked at me, and I saw worry in his eyes. "From what I'd heard of your town, I thought you felt the same way."

   "I do." The words came out in a rush that I hadn't expected to sound so breathy, and I quickly drew myself upright, straightening my coat. "But it's rare, even for the people who accept ghouls. I guess a lot of people can't handle all that we have to offer." I drew myself up tall as I spoke, but I could feel that little voice inside of me laughing at my bravado, because I knew I didn't feel it.

   I knew that I didn't think I was worth the time, half of the time. So what was I playing at?

   "Those people are just foolish." Preston's voice held a soft, fevered tone that made something inside of me burn, because I could tell that he meant it. He was looking me straight in the eyes, and it almost seemed like there was something else on the tip of his tongue that he wanted to say. Finally, he shifted, drawing his hat down so that the shadow covered his face. 

  I wondered again if he used it the same way I did - a defense to hide half of his expression. Most of the time, I did it to hide my face. The Major seemed to be doing it to hide the scarlet of his cheeks. I leaned in close, so that my shoulder bumped his as I offered him a grin. 

  "It's nice to know that someone can appreciate it."

   "Oh," Preston's voice was half strangled with his embarrassment, and his eyes weren't looking at me when he spoke... but he spoke nonetheless. "I can appreciate it." Fuck, but I could almost feel my body responding to the words that he spoke, and I had to push myself away slightly before my damn traitor of a dick went ahead and did it. Preston was probably just being /nice/, and I was taking it all the wrong way.

   Oh well, though. I doped up on drugs, might as well do it on delusions, too. "Any way I can get a tour into some of the houses? I might decide to get one here," I waited until he looked up, and winked at him, "I'm kind of fond of the state of mind, after all."

   He was red again, but he managed to keep his eyes locked with mine. "You've seen Silas and Quinn's house. We have a few empty ones that we're constructing.... and..." He paused, and I actually heard him take a breath. "I can show you my place, for what it is." 

   Flirting - we were lightly flirting. We were like two damn teenagers meeting each other for the first time and thinking that it was a good idea to test the waters. 

   What goddamn parallel universe had I traveled to that someone as fucking /innocent/ as the Major was testing any kind of water with me? And why wasn't I fighting it. Even I knew this could only end up with heartache... but I wasn't willing to give up the delusion. Not just yet.

   It was honestly one of the best things that I'd felt in a long time - maybe even better than my last dose of jet. Weird. Fucking weird.

_ Good. _ Ezio's voice was smug, and he bumped hard against my leg so that my answer spilled from my chest.

   "That sounds great." I grinned, and Preston smiled almost shyly in return. Goddamn, but this was trouble. Trouble with a big fucking T. 

   I guess it was a good thing that Trouble was my middle name. 


End file.
